# Beauty Do's & Don'ts for Pregnant Women



## chocobon (Jan 28, 2007)

Is self-tanner safe to use when you're pregnant? What about over-the-counter acne medications? We took your questions to New York City dermatologist Dr. Diane Berson, who gave us the lowdown on maintaining a beauty regimen while you are with child.

Her first advice: Always double-check any questions you may have with your obstetrician who is, after all, your primary medical provider during pregnancy. And keep in mind, doctors tend to follow the "better safe than sorry" rule and very often are conservative when giving advice. Most cosmetics ingredients are probably safe for pregnant women, Dr. Berson says, but to be on the safe side, it's wise to avoid those that penetrate the skin and have not been studied for use in pregnant women.

*What Pregnant Women Should Avoid:*


Avoid oral antibiotics often prescribed for acne. If you have a severe inflammation, ask your doctor about oral erythromycin, which is considered the safest for use during pregnancy. Usually, this medication is reserved for those who have very painful and inflamed lesions.

Avoid daily use of benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. "If you need to dry out a pimple now and then, dab on benzoyl peroxide," says Dr. Berson. "Just don't slather it all over your face every day. As for salicylic acid, no studies have been done." In both cases, she says, it's safe to use in a cleanser, which is rinsed off the skin.

Avoid products that contain vitamin A and it's derivatives (retinals, including Retin-A, and retinoids). A vitamin-A derivative in Accutane, which is taken by mouth, has been shown to cause birth defects.

Avoid alpha-hydroxy acids in creams you leave on your face.

Avoid depilatories (cream hair removers) because the chemicals seep into the pores and loosen hair follicles. Shave while you're pregnant.

Avoid self-tanners. They are probably safe, but require leaving the chemicals that dye skin cells on your skin for several hours. "Better safe than sorry," says Dr. Berson.

Avoid hair dyes that cover your entire head as the dyes usually saturate the scalp and could be absorbed into your system. Theoretically, these are safer towards the end of your third trimester, but Dr. Berson cautions against hair dye because there are even safety questions about hair dye for non-pregnant women.
*What Is OK for Pregnant Women:* 
Nail polish remover that is used on the nails and immediately washed off is OK. Ditto for nail polish that is only wet for a short amount of time and is usually not applied more than once a week. Neither polish nor remover are absorbed by the nail plate.

Sunblocks are more than just OK, they are required! Look for sunblocks that contain transparent zinc oxide, micronized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide -- the products that contain these ingredients contain fewer chemicals. Protecting your facial skin from the sun is essential during pregnancy to prevent a condition called melasma, which is known as the mask of pregnancy. The brown patchy skin that can crop up on your outer cheeks and outer forehead is caused by a combination of your hormones and sun exposure.

Highlights or hair painting are OK if the dyes don't touch your scalp.

Moisturizers and skin-soothing oils and creams are great to treat dry skin and avoid uncomfortable itching where your skin is stretching. There is no proof they prevent stretch marks, but some women swear by them!

If you have no major skin problems, cleanse with a mild cleanser and use a light moisturizer at night; apply a moisturizer with a sunblock in the morning.

If you have a skin condition, whether it's acne, rosacea or eczema, inform your dermatologist you are pregnant when discussing treatments and check your dermatologist's prescriptions with your obstetrician.
Do's and Don'ts During Pregnancy - Dr. Diane Berson - iVillage Beauty Skin Clinic


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## reesesilverstar (Nov 6, 2008)

Thank you!

I got scared when I read about the salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide somewhere else. I ran out and bought a new set of face cleaning stuff.

I'm curious about makeup. Can I still wear makeup. I have a bunch of Ben Nye stuff, and now I'm worried about the dyes in it...

I'm thinking I should maybe play it safe and go get some mineral stuff...


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## brewgrl (Nov 6, 2008)

When I was pregnant, I had to avoid so many things, only because I became super sensitive to everything, chemicals, scent, taste (taste through scent, if that makes any sense), and so I really had to cut out 80% of my normal products.


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## tinktink22 (Nov 6, 2008)

Its so hard to keep track of what you can and cant do. Me and my cousin will go on for hours about her pregnancy and whats ok for her to do. Its good cuz i can prepare myself =)

Totally Off Topic-------&gt; But did 1,643 people really view this and only 2 ppl replied?? Its usually like half and half


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## Panda816 (Nov 6, 2008)

I dyed my hair while pregnant and I did after looking up a lot of info on it and it was pretty much inconclusive on whether it was really safe or not as long I was in a well ventilated area. I only did it 3 times and once was before I knew I was pg.


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## Aprill (Nov 6, 2008)

I have broken all those rules....i dont recommed that others do it, but i will relax my hair, dye my hair, treat my acne, all that. The one rule i follow is not touching aspirin..that's really about it (and drinking and smoking)


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## Nick007 (Nov 6, 2008)

There is so many rules and you can drive yourself crazy trying to follow all of them. Your doctor will give you a list of do's and dont's and I would just stick to that and not worry about all the stuff you are going to read. Makeup is fine to wear. The hair dying is okay as long as it's after the 1st tri.


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## reesesilverstar (Nov 6, 2008)

Well that helps, cuz I've been reading most places that your skin is so absorbent and some products could harm the developing fetus...


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## Aprill (Nov 6, 2008)

just be wary 1st trimester...it is the most important and most critical and drink lots of OJ for folic acid!!!


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## Panda816 (Nov 6, 2008)

ooh another thing I did before I knew I was pg was get a massage. It was my first and only and the massuese even asked me if I was pregnant and I was like "no way!"lol


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## Adrienne (Nov 6, 2008)

Old thread lol.

I was lucky that I didn't have acne, didn't dye my hair (doesn't interest me) and really didnt have any huge issues. At the time I loved makeup but being as huge as I was, trying to be pretty in 70 percent humidity in the middle of august wasn't an easy feat and I was too lazy to even try lol.


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